After nearly three hours of mutual back slapping, Paul Holmes' voice quavered this morning as he thanked his family, friends, colleagues and listeners for the good times and bad.
He left his last breakfast show on NewstalkZB in an Auckland waterfront restaurant in front of 120 guests today with the words: "This was the Paul Holmes breakfast at NewstalkZB. Thank you so much for listening to us. I hope you have enjoyed the programme. Thank you very much for listening and thank you very much for coming.
"Four minutes to nine with NewstalkZB. This was the Paul Holmes breakfast."
Minutes earlier as he called NewstalkZB general manager Bill Francis on his cellphone for some jocular repartee.
"Hey Bill," said Holmes into the microphone.
"I'm here." "Bill, shove this job up . . . "
"Paul, you're fired," responded Francis.
Before invited guests including his mother Chrissy, his wife Deborah, and Prime Minister John Key, Holmes listened to messages of congratulations on his role as the dominant breakfast personality for much of the nearly 22 years he had been at NewstalkZB since it began.
He spoke of the dark times soon after the new talk concept began and the ratings went through the floor, to the times when the ratings soared.
He also thanked his rivals who had said "nice things" about him in the last few days.
"We are all broadcasters," he said.
He also urged young broadcasters to break the rules and try something different.
Holmes will be succeeded by Mike Hosking on the NewstalkZB breakfast show but will continue on the Saturday morning show.
